Anti-abortion visitor on lecture tour

Press, 1 October 1979, Page 6

Anti-abortion visitor on lecture tour

Miss Joanna Nash, a campaigner lor the rights of the unborn child in Britain, arrived in Christchurch yesterday for a lecture tour of New Zealand universities. Formerly a journalist, freelance writer, and radio and television interviewer, Miss Nash became London’s youngest borough councillor in 1974 when she was elected to the London Borough of Sutton. She is an executive committee member of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child in London and in 1976 and 1977 made extensive speaking tours of the United States, sponsored by the Right to Life organisation. While in New Zealand on holiday, Miss Nash, aged 25, will lecture on, and debate with university students, her oro-life views on abortion.

-i In 1967 Britain became one e of the first Western coun- - [tries to legalise abortion. ’.[ Miss Nash said that as a f jfull-time research assistant (for the Health and Social I /Services Department in the |House of Commons she had s !gained many insights into the s effects of the abortion legisUlation. “Abortion is used .in] 1 Britain as a way of soothing over social problems,” she ' said. “If a girl is pregnant ’ and in any kind of social ' difficulty, abortion is advised ■ and expected to solve thei '[problem. y “This is sweeping other . social problems under the mat and often means disa crimination against poorer i women who may have e greater difficulties in seeking r practical social help.” Miss Nash said abortion

I was a controversial issue in Britain. Her views were not 'shared by the Department of Health, which was promoting abortion because it saved [money. I Miss Nash is being spon[sored in New Zealand by the [University Students’ Pro-Life [Committee. I Her first lecture will be at I the University of Canterbury (tomorrow when she will ispeak on Britain since 1964, where changes have to be made to present legislation, 'and lessons for New Zealand. | She will also talk to Rotary clubs in New Zealand on her | experiences “behind the /scenes” while working in the House of Commons and as a borough councillor.

She said her hobby was local history and as a court- > cillor she had helped with ( the preservation of London’s , old buildings. j She is involved with a ( number of pressure groups and was a founder of a 1 young people’s group cam- ( paigning for the rights of , Christian prisoners in Russia. ‘ She writes for “Universe," the main Roman Catholic newspaper in Britain, and ; other magazines and news-1; papers. i, Among her published' works is “The Positive |' Woman,” a criticism of women’s liberation from the) 1 Christian point of view, and!“Truth Betrayed,” on theji problems facing Christian | education.